Closed-door testimony by former head of counterintelligence Bill Priestap reveals handpicked group ran the investigations outside of his control.
Bill Priestap, the high-ranking FBI official responsible for overseeing both the Clinton email investigation and the agency’s counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign appeared to not have been in real control of his own investigations.
In closed-door testimony before congressional lawmakers in June last year, Priestap, who served as the head of the FBI’s counterintelligence division, acknowledged it was mostly FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI analyst Jonathan Moffa who were “driving the train.”
Talking to lawmakers, Priestap described the unusual circumstances under which he inherited the team in January 2016, saying the members had been previously handpicked by an unknown high ranking official at the FBI.
In his June 5, 2018, testimony—a transcript of which was reviewed for this article—Priestap appears to have been unaware of key meetings that took place between Strzok and the second highest ranking official at the FBI, Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe.
Priestap’s congressional interview was conducted in an unclassified setting, with the appropriate agency counsel present to ensure that classified information didn’t enter into the unclassified setting.
When questioned about text messages sent between Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page that showed a strong bias in favor of Hillary Clinton and against Donald Trump, Priestap told lawmakers “it wasn’t the Pete Strzok that I know.” more here
The FBI is due for a remake at the least or preferably replaced and restructured so this political favoritism stops.
And nothing will come of it. I really think they could uncover a plot to assassinate Trump within the FBI and it would blow over without much happening.
The new “Director” acts very much
like just another cover up artist.
The Donald has been making BAD picks
again. That AG he wants looks crappy also.
“…members had been previously handpicked by an unknown high ranking official…”
convenient, that is. Nice and neat. Nothing to have to remember.
Are we supposed to believe that there are groups of people in our justice system investigating citizens and no one knows who they were empowered by? The proceedings are held in secret too. Someone knows. I bet the previous resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. knows. I hope the current resident knows too.
He’s the guy who’s going to be thrown under the bus.
Looks like a nice enough fellow….. too bad he must hang as well.
“Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.” Geo. Orwell
“He’s the guy who’s going to be thrown under the bus.”
You said it for me.
We’ll soon find out if Barr is as big a POS as sessions.
He captained the ship, crying ignorance now sounds like ass covering. There were no saints up there while all this was going on or there would have been some pushback. He couldn’t have functioned in that atmosphere without at least a tacit knowledge of the goings on.